Meant to Be
by just-jilyy
Summary: Muggle Soulmate AU created for wonder-witch-weasley on Tumblr for Jilymas2k19


**A/n: Here is the first part of my fic for Jilymas2k19. Written for wonder-witch-weasley on Tumblr. **

_**One Year Earlier**_

Lily Evans couldn't help but find it slightly less than funny and more than a little ironic that the one thing she hated the most in the world was the thing that created a bond between her and the one person she detested most in the world. The Soul Mark had been the dark spot in Lily's life since she was old enough to understand what it meant, and James Potter had been the bane of Lily's existence from the moment they met when they were eleven years old. So, the fact that seventeen-year-old Lily Evans found herself siding with James Potter over her own best friend, Severus Snape, was both laughable and mind-boggling.

"But the Marks are the best way," Snape argued. He turned to Lily and looked at her pleadingly, willing her to understand. "They tell you exactly who you're meant to belong to."

Lily scoffed. "I don't _belong_ to anyone, Sev. And that mindset is exactly why the Mark is ridiculous."

"I would say I hate to interfere, but you know that'd be a lie." James said, sauntering up and leaning on the side of the desk closest to Lily.

"What Potter? You just feel the need to let us all know how much you love the idea of the Mark? Let me guess, your head is so inflated that you think you'll have more than one matching Mark." Lily cut him off, narrowing her eyes at him. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but there was something about James that set her on edge whenever he was too close to her.

"Actually, Evans," James replied, "I think the Mark is stupid. People aren't possessions, you can't own them. The Mark is this outdated concept that people want to belong to someone rather than be an equal partner."

Lily, who was poised to argue James's point even before hearing it, snapped her mouth closed. She blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. James Potter was notorious for creating an argument just meant to rile her up. They had been at each other's toes for years. It wasn't fair for him to switch everything up on her just like that, no warning or anything.

"No one asked you, Potter. Your idiotic opinion doesn't hold much weight here." Severus snapped, glaring at James and looking as though he'd like for him to ignite into flames on the spot if such a thing were possible.

Lily broke out of her stunned silence. "He's right though Sev. The Mark is outdated. We should be able to fall in love with someone because we're right for each other, not because a Mark on our skin says we need to be together."

Lily felt Severus's reaction beside her—she knew when he jerked back and looked at her as though he didn't recognize her—but her gaze was fixed on James. There was a curious humming in her chest as she watched his reaction—the widening of his eyes at the fact of Lily Evans agreeing with him, the slow spread of the grin across his face, and the glint in his eyes as his gaze met hers—and she forced herself to look back down at the top of her desk, her hair slipping forward over her shoulder to conceal the fact that her face was flushed.

Lily could tell without looking up that James had moved away from her desk to take his spot next to his best friend, Sirius Black, who sat right behind her. He hadn't made noise, or said anything else before he left, but the strange vibration in her chest disappeared when he did. She did her best to keep her eyes trained down at the spot on her desk in front of her—it was easier when the professor began their lesson and she could focus on taking notes—but the tension radiating off of Severus and the curiosity that kept making her want to turn her gaze back to James Potter had Lily itching to escape her seat after class.

At the end of the lesson—sixty excruciatingly long minutes—Lily rose from her seat quickly and gathered her things. She wanted to escape the room—the tension from her best friend, the weird charge radiating from James, and more than anything the strange thoughts that were taking over her mind—and get some air in the quad, but Severus had other plans. She had just made it out of the classroom when he grabbed her arm tightly, stopping her on the spot.

"Lily, wait." Sev said, pulling her closer. She could see the irritation on his face and bit her lip. "I think we need to talk about what just happened in there."

Lily winced and tried to pull her arm away, but he tightened his grip. "Ouch, Sev. You're hurting me."

"What was that about Lily? You hate Potter. You think he's an insufferable, arrogant git."

Lily jerked her arm again, harder this time, but still couldn't shake it out of his grip. "Usually he is. But today he was right. Now please take your hand off me, it hurts."

Severus stepped closer and for the first time Lily felt some of the fear that other students felt when Sev turned on them. There was something in the look in his eyes, some deep dark thing that Lily had never witnessed before, but before she could decipher it, a voice spoke up from behind her.

"Let her go." James said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Severus dropped her arm instantly and reflexively she rubbed it with her opposite hand. There were red marks impressed in her skin where his fingers had dug in and held. Without thinking, she stepped backwards away from Severus and closer to James. James moved in front of her protectively—he wasn't overly muscular or menacing by any means, but his intentions were more than clear in his body language.

"I think you owe Evans an apology."

Snape scoffed. "An apology? For what?"

"For putting your hands on her."

Snape looked over James's shoulder at Lily. It was in that moment that she knew their friendship was over. In his eyes, she had done something unforgivable—twice now—by agreeing with James Potter.

"I won't apologize for pointing out someone's stupidity." Snape sneered.

Lily had known it was coming—she had witnessed Snape's nastiness towards others before, though it had never been turned on her—but she flinched regardless. It was like a slap in the face, to hear your best friend say something so cruel.

James's chest swelled, and Lily knew he wanted to hit Snape for saying something so cruel, but she placed a hand on his arm to stop him. He looked down at her, a question in his eyes, and she shook her head at him before turning to Snape.

"I'm sorry you think I'm stupid, but if you really think your actions are justifiable because I don't agree with you then you aren't the person I thought you were, Sev."

"You're really going to choose him?" Snape glared.

"I'm not choosing anyone." Lily replied calmly. "Other than myself."

Without looking at either of them, Lily turned and hurried down the hallway. She could feel the burn of tears behind her eyes and she refused to let anyone see her cry.

If you had told Lily Evans just that morning that today would be the day she lost her best friend from childhood she would have rolled her eyes. And if you would have even mentioned that she would agree with James bloody Potter—otherwise known as the bane of her existence and the cause of the annoying thrumming in her chest whenever he was near—she would have laughed in your face. Laughing was the furthest thing from what she was doing now, however.


End file.
